The advances in electronic circuitry and semiconductor fabrication technologies have resulted in physically smaller electronic components. In addition, the level of integration has continued to rise, further decreasing the size of electronic components, while increasing their functionality.
Both of the above developments have enabled the proliferation of hand-held devices, such as digital cameras, mobile handsets, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and the like. Those devices typically operate from a battery, the voltage of which may often not match the operating voltage(s) of the electronic components of the devices. Voltage regulators convert the battery voltage to voltages appropriate for operating the electronic circuitry.